Romanians vote for mayors in ballot overshadowed by graft

A baby peers from a voting cabin in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, June 5, 2016, as Romanians vote for local officials in administrations that are plagued with corruption. In Bucharest, the former mayor and five out of six district mayors elected in 2012 have been convicted or are being investigated on graft charges and two are running to win their districts again this year.(AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) ROMANIA OUT
(The Associated Press)

A woman carries a baby while casting her vote in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, June 5, 2016, as Romanians vote for local officials in administrations that are plagued with corruption. In Bucharest, the former mayor and five out of six district mayors elected in 2012 have been convicted or are being investigated on graft charges and two are running to win their districts again this year. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) ROMANIA OUT
(The Associated Press)

Gabriele Firea holds roses after the press statement that followed the release of exit polls in the local elections indicating she's the new mayor of the Romanian capital in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, June 5, 2016. Three exit polls showed that Firea, a former TV journalist and member of the center-left Social Democratic Party easily won the post of Bucharest mayor scoring about 41 percent of the vote. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
(The Associated Press)

BUCHAREST, Romania – Romanians have begun voting for local officials in administrations that are plagued with corruption.

In Bucharest, the former mayor and six out of seven district mayors elected in 2012 have been convicted or are being investigated on graft charges. Two are running to win their districts again this year.

Polls opened Sunday at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) and will close at 9 p.m. (1800 GMT).

Some 51 of 109 mayors of Romania's major cities are convicted or investigated for corruption or have been declared unfit for office according to the penali.ro anti-corruption site.

It is the first ballot after the Colectiv nightclub fire where 64 died. The fire was blamed on safety officials who ignored violations of fire regulations. Former Premier Victor Ponta resigned following protests.